Bentley introduces 'light sculpture' system on the Batur

The all-new Bentley Batur, the stunning coachbuilt coupe from the firm's bespoke Mulliner division, is set to feature a new technology: Highly-detailed animation sequences, which will be projected onto the ground from the door. 

Following an illustrious century of incorporating metal, wood and leather into its cars, light is now said to be the fourth material which will play a significant part in Bentley's design language. 

Light is one of the materials Bentley will incorporate more heavily into its design language, as the brand looks into the future

The element of light was first seen in 2019 in a concept car, the EXP100 GT, which contains an illuminated front grille. 

Now, Bentley states that the Batur gives an insight into its light craftsmanship, alongside the opportunities available for luxury digital personalisation. 

While it's worth noting that 'puddle lights' have grown fancier in recent years, what Bentley is introducing now takes things a few notches higher with its intricacy and tech.

In the Batur, Advanced Digital Light Processing (DLP) has been innovated - and is being used for the first time within the automotive world in this specific manner - creating an animated welcome image when the door is opened. This takes the form of a projection of the Batur's distinct design and profile onto the floor. 

The profile of the Batur will be projected onto the floor when the car's door is open

The projection is made possible with the use of three coloured lights projecting through five different lens and two prisms into an 8mm² Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). The light signal is then focused through five more lenses, before eventually displaying the animation on the ground. 

Moving images are produced through the movement of 415,800 tiny mirrors located in the DMD device. To give an idea on how tiny these mirrors are, Bentley states that they are 16 microns in width each: Merely a fifth the width of a strand of human hair. 

Bentley believes that the projection system now creates an opportunity for customers to further personalise their car through curating a bespoke welcome animation for their car. Concurrently, it represents the next step of innovation and pushing the boundaries of technology further for its Mulliner division.